A memorial service will be held at the El Paso Chihuahuas’ ballpark for well-liked El Paso businessman Matt Keats, who became one of the city’s biggest boosters after moving here about 30 years ago to open a factory.
Keats, 66, died May 10 because of complications from back surgery.
He was co-owner and co-chairman of Keats Manufacturing, his family’s 65-year-old Chicago-area metal parts manufacturing company. It operates three factories, including one in Mexico, with about 260 employees and about $50 million in annual sales.
He moved from his hometown Chicago to El Paso in 1994 to open Keats Southwest, the first branch for the family business. The factory produces thousands of small metal parts for products assembled in Mexico for the automotive, appliance, and other industries.
“He was a pioneer, that’s what I called him,” said brother Wade Keats, 69, who for years was Keats Manufacturing chief executive officer. Now, he’s co-chairman and co-owner.
He was a pioneer because Keats Manufacturing was one of the first out-of-town suppliers of the maquiladoras, or manufacturing plants in Juárez, to open a factory in El Paso as the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994, Wade Keats said.
“He was very proud of what he accomplished at Keats Southwest. He also was very proud of El Paso, he loved it,” Wade Keats said. “He was really excited about the (area’s) growth and the opportunities. He was such an advocate for El Paso.”
The factory grew from eight employees and $1 million in sales in 1994 to 70 employees and about $15 million in sales today. It’s at 11425 Rojas Drive in East El Paso.
Matt Keats was president of the factory for 27 years until he stepped back from day-to-day operations in 2021, his brother said. But he continued to work part-time.
He was an outgoing people person who easily made friends and had a great sense of humor.
That was demonstrated by the outpouring of kind words about Keats from more than 240 people who commented, including some prominent El Paso business people, on Facebook and LinkedIn after his death was announced.
“We all joked that Matt was the unofficial mayor of El Paso” because he knew someone wherever he went in El Paso, his sons, Dean and Brian, wrote in the social media posts announcing their father’s death. Dean, 32, and Brian, 30, are quality engineers at the family’s company. Brian works in El Paso and Dean in the Illinois plant.
“Matt never met a stranger. Once you shook hands with him, you could be friends with him. And that’s the way he was,” said Jim Paul, former El Paso Diablos baseball team owner and former CEO of Hospice El Paso, who became friends with Keats just over 10 years ago.
He also “knew when people were bs-ing. That was a true quality of his,” Paul said.
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Keats was a board member of Hospice El Paso and was involved for years in the Sunrise Rotary Club of El Paso, including serving as president twice and being active in the El Paso Chamber. He also was a former member of the El Paso County Civil Service Commission, including serving as chairman.
He was a big sports fan who enthusiastically adopted the Chihuahuas minor league baseball team, the Rhinos amateur hockey team and various University of Texas at El Paso teams.
His El Paso factory office was packed with sports memorabilia from Chicago and El Paso.
Besides attending numerous sporting events, the bass guitarist also attended countless rock concerts. His last Facebook post in April was about attending his 10th ZZ Top concert.
He was not only a partner with his brother and a cousin in the company started by the brothers’ father and an uncle in 1958. He also was “my best friend,” Wade Keats said.
Their cousin, Matt Eggemeyer, is now company CEO. The brothers’ younger sister, Paula Keats, is retired from the company.
The brothers talked daily by phone for at least an hour.
“He was just wonderful to be around. We had a lot in common,” Wade Keats said.
“It’s been devastating for me,” he said of his brother’s death.
The celebration of life ceremony will be at 5 p.m., Friday, May 31, at Southwest University Park in Downtown El Paso. Jim Paul will emcee. Another ceremony will be held later in Chicago.
“He wasn’t very religious. … We’ll probably sprinkle a few of his ashes around the ballpark, that was his church. He loved it there,” Wade Keats said.
Vic Kolenc may be reached at 915-546-6421; [email protected]; @vickolenc on Twitter, now known as X.
Matt Keatz celebration of life info
When: 5 p.m., Friday, May 31
Where: Southwest University Park, 1 Ball Park Plaza
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Memorial for El Paso businessman Matt Keats set at Chihuahuas ballpark
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